The Escape
by Kittykraze
Summary: A protective father, a determined son and a group of hired assassins will stop at nothing to protect each other and finish the job. They were supposed to be safe but things take a dangerous turn for the unexpected. Book 2 in the E3 Trilogy (The Edge is Book1) Please review! CHPT 2 NOW UP!
1. Of the Timberland

_The Escape_

 _ **The Escape: Of the Timberland**_

TORONTO, Canada

Sam steps out of the shower onto the tiled locker room floor of the Strategic Response Unit. He has been a member of Team One for a little over a year now. He is fitting in alright but things are still awkward. The rest of his team is in the briefing room getting ready to debrief. Sergeant Parker had sent Sam to the showers to clean up when they had returned.

His arms and chest had been covered in blood when a little girl involved in their last call had jumped into arms after they had been able to talk down her father from hurting her and her mother. Everyone was extremely grateful that no one had died that day. The little girl had been bloodied from being hit multiple times by her father. Sam had been in the house, he and Ed covering Greg as the boss negotiated. Once the man surrendered the gun, the young girl leaped into Sam's arms, frightened and crying into the young constable's shoulder. He had cradle the girl in his arms as the EMTs examined her, taking both she and her mother to the hospital. When they were heading to the SUVs, Greg noticed Constable Braddock staring rather mortified at the blood staining his body and how he seemed to be rooted to the ground.

"Sam? You okay, buddy?" He nodded his head slowly, his eyes glued to the blood. "C'mon buddy, we can get all that blood off back at the barn." Greg reassured, gently placing his hand on Sam's back, guiding him to the truck. The Boss kept checking on him during the quiet ride. "Hey Sam? You did good today."

He feels much better now with all of the blood off of him. He walks back into the briefing room quite exhausted. The debrief goes quickly, there was not much to discuss: the day had been fairly uneventful. Just as they walk out of the room, Sam's phone rings.

"Hello?" He answers, stepping away from the group listening to the other person. "Yes sir. I understand, sir." Listens. "Yes sir, you can send the coordinates to this number. I'll be there ASAP." Pause. "Yes sir. Thank you, sir." He listens. "I hope so too. Bye." He whispers.

"Everything okay, Sam?" Ed asks.

Sam glances up at his TL confused for a moment. "Yeah. Fine." He briskly walks to the locker room for his duffle bag.

"Hey Greg. Something's up. Sam's acting weird." Ed pulls Sergeant Parker aside. "He received a phone call and something's going on. Might have been his father or someone else from the military. He kept saying 'sir'." He fills the sergeant in.

Greg nods and follows Sam. The rookie is about to walk out of the locker room, duffle bag in hand.

"Hey Sam. Eddie said you got a call. Is everything alright?" He asks innocently enough.

"Everything's fine! Can't you just leave me alone?!" Sam snaps, clearly miffed. He skirts his way around his sergeant.

"Sam." Greg gently grabs his arm. The young constable freezes for a moment, his sergeant witnesses the panic in his teammate's eyes and quickly releases his grip. "We-"

"Stay out of my business!" He nearly shouts, storming out of SRU headquarters.

Team One is gathered behind Greg, hearing the shouts. They exchange glances but no one wants to go after their teammate.

 **3 Hours Later**

OTTAWA, Canada

"Yes sir, I understand the situation. I want to know exactly what you plan on doing about it." Sam states, growing very frustrated.

"Sam, this is no place for irrational thinking. I know you want to help him and we will be sure to include you in this mission as much as possible but we _cannot_ start without sufficient information. We'd be wasting time he does not have." The sergeant motions to the paused video of General Braddock tied to a chair, bloodied and beaten, crimson gag in his mouth forced to talk. He says his captors will release him as soon as Samuel comes so they can "talk" about all this. Jason's eyes were pleading for Sam to not come anywhere near them and for someone to rescue him very soon. The video had been sent four hours earlier and military officials had swiftly contacted The General's son. Sam had been mortified at the gruesome sight of his dad and wanted to start the rescue process immediately. "Sam, I know you want to get out there right now but, buddy, they're after you. Can't you see that? We need to keep you safe; we'll take care of your dad."

"But I know where that is! I know where they're holding him!" The constable blurts.

"What?! Why didn't you say anything?"

"I – I just realized where I recognized it from. Remember our safe house near the Great Lakes? It's gotta be around there. I recognize the wood outside, they always have a yellow-greenish tinge whenever you photograph them – or if they happen to be in a poorly shot hostage video."

"Sam, there could be a million places where the forest looks like that, son. We _can't_ afford to go on a wild goose chase! All I can see from this video is a dark room, probably a basement, and your beat-up father."

"Fine. If you won't help him, then _I will_! He's my dad and I am not going to lose him again to these bastards." Sam stands abruptly, his chair tipping over and clattering to the floor.

 _The basement of an abandoned cabin:_

Two large men clad in black prowl around General Braddock, relishing in the wheezing of their prey due to their most recent beating.

"If he comes, we will still kill you. You know that right?" One snarls.

Jason cuts his eyes at the man, earning another blow to the face.

"He'll never fall for it." He wheezes, though he fears his son is already on his way.

"Oh, I wouldn't be too sure about that." The second laughs creepily before slugging the military General again, knocking him unconscious.

 **4 Hours Later**

Sam is driving tensely as he navigates through the maze of twisted back roads. He comes upon the place in the road where their old safe house used to be. It's nothing more than a decaying cabin now. He knows, he just knows his father has to be in one of the abandon houses deeper in the woods. It's growing dark and he knows he won't make much headway in the blackness of the forest so he decides to stay the night in his car and map out plans. He didn't know these woods all that great but he knew them well enough to navigate them.

"I will find you, Daddy. I just hope I won't be too late." Sam promises as sleep overtakes him.

 **Morning: Early**

The young SRU constable wakes slowly. His brain tries to sort out his muddled thoughts into something comprehensible. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and climbs out of the car, beginning his journey into the timberland.

By noon, Sam is a few miles deep into the forest. The pale morning light barely filters through the dense foliage. He stumbles over an unseen root and whimpers as he crashes to the ground. Sam sits on the forest floor, rubbing his left knee. Trickles of blood seep through his khaki pants.

' _I must've skinned my knee.'_ He thinks, his bottom lip quivering as tears well in his eyes.

He whimpers for a few moments before heaving himself off the ground, grabbing the tree behind him for support as he tests his knee.

' _Awwh, it hurts.'_ Sam pouts. _'But I gotta find Daddy first then he'll make my knee feel better.'_

He begins walking in the same direction as before. He knew there was a cabin right by the little creek that ran a mile or so behind their old cabin. He could see the small creek and all he had to do was follow it until he reaches the abandoned cabin. Jason had taken a very young Sam through the woods one summer, playing in the creek and the very abandoned cabin he sought for today.

By evening, he spots a cabin but it's not the one he remembers. He finds it hard concentrate as he tries to locate a suitable place to camp. He sits in the growing darkness, leaning against a tree, clutching his small backpack against his chest as he slips asleep.

 **The Next Morning:**

Sam wakes with a start hearing a noise in the forest. It takes several minutes for him to recognize where he is and what he's doing there. His knee is sore and his tummy rumbles. He doesn't have any food with him. Only one bottle of water and his army knife are in his backpack.

' _Maybe I should've brought food with me. Oh well, oww, my knee hurts still. Daddy! I have to find Daddy!'_

He walks without stopping, never growing confused or unsteady on his path. Sam is on a mission and he is determined to succeed. In the fading hours of afternoon, he hears a dull thud and a loud shout of pain. He instinctively drops to the ground, flattening himself among the leaves.

' _Daddy!'_ He thinks excitedly, knowing he's close.

He dashes to the cabin hidden in the thick foliage. Almost ten minutes later, Sam stations himself outside of a low, rectangular window that looks into the dark basement. He knew this is where his daddy was. He could recognize the green-tinted timberland anywhere. Sam cautiously peers into the room below. He gasps as he spots his father tied tightly to a chair in the middle of the room. Through the grimy window, he cannot tell how badly The General is injured but he plans on rescuing him as soon as possible. They will escape the timberland by the night, Sam is certain of that. He watches as five man enter the room, cackling. He can barely contain his fury as they beat his father. Two hours after they leave, Sam taps on the glass. Jason's head pop up and quickly spots his son's worried face in the small rectangular window. He hold conflicting emotions: of course he wants to be rescued but they'll hurt Sam if he comes in and _no one_ will hurt his Sammy again.

Jason mouths 'Stay' to his son but he shakes his head no wildly.

'No. I help you.' Sam motions exaggeratedly, a goofy smile on his face as if he's proud of his "plan."

' _Oh Lord, he hasn't taken his medicine.'_ Jason thinks though he cannot help but smile at his boy's eagerness to help him. _'He doesn't understand the danger is in here and what risks he'd be taking by coming in.'_

Before he can fully understand what is happening, a creaking noise sounds eerily in the quiet room. Sam is slowly opening the small window.

"Daddy." He whispers excitedly as he crawls through the window, landing surprisingly quiet on the concrete floor below, grimacing as he hurt knee absorbs the impact of the five foot drop.

"Are you okay, Pooh Bear?" Jason asks softly, seeing the pain in his son's eyes.

Sam doesn't respond. "It's okay, Daddy. I'm going to get you out of here away from the bad me. I promise." He begins to work the thick ropes around his father's arms and leg off with the knife.

The General cringes as the blood rushes to his shoulders. He had been tied in that position for four days and who knows how many days before they had him captured and drugged.

"Sammy." He states shakily, wrapping his aching arms around his son's sturdy frame. "I missed you so much." He whispers into Sam's ear. His son returns the gesture clinging to his father, tears leaking from his eyes.

"I thought I wasn't gonna see you again, Daddy." Sam cries. "I so worried 'bout you. Dey weren't gonna come find you, Daddy an' I couldn't let you get hurt. I love you."

Tears roll down Jason's cheeks as he embraces his only true child. He scoops Sam into his arms, kissing his nose to make him giggle. A few more moments pass as father and son reignite their impenetrable bond.

"Alright sweetheart, we have to get out here before those bad men come back, Pooh Bear." Sam immediately points to the window. "Yeah, uh, I think it's going to be a lot harder to get back up there than it was for you to jump down." He chuckles. "But there _is_ a side door once we can get back up into the cabin. I've noticed they haven't locked the door since I've been tied up so if we can make our way into the house, we have a pretty good shot at taking off into the woods without them noticing or, if we had to, we could outrun them. Oh, what about your leg? Does it hurt, Sammy?" He remembers his son's reaction when he jumped into the basement.

"Yea, I skinned it 'cause I fell in the woods tryin' find you." Sam pouts.

"Sweetie," A sad look passes over the father's face. "Can I kiss it and make it feel better?"

His son nods his head vigorously, his lopsided grin returning. Jason kisses the grass stain on his son's khaki pants just as Sam loses his balance, crashing into the metal folding chair. The General's eyes grow wide as he pulls his son off the floor.

"Now Sam! Now! Run!" He pushes his son through the basement door in the direction of the side door.

The five men came running as soon as they heard the crash. The seven men practically collide. Bodies smash into each other, guns jab into ribs, shots fire into the ceiling. Chaos reigns as Jason frantically screams abouve the din.

"SAM! RUN! RUN SAMMY! JUST KEEP RUNNING! I LOVE YOU!"

The current SRU officer refuses to listen to his father's orders. He spins around on his heels, hightailing it back to where his father struggles with the stronger men.

"DADDY! DADDY!" He screams, fighting his way through the guns and bodies, wrenching his father out of a man's tight grip and dragging him out of the cabin. Both men run as fast as they can into the timberland.

Sam yelps and crashes to the forest floor. His father is by his side instantly, hauling him to his feet with one simple command.

"Run, just run."

And run they do. For a near forty-five minutes, they keep up the speed of a flat-out run before Sam crumples to the ground.

"Sammy? Baby! C'mon, it's okay. You're okay, sweetheart." Jason tells his gasping son, wanting to continue jogging at least.

Sam does not move. He cannot breathe enough air. His head is light, the world spinning, his hearing and vision fade in and out.

"C'mon Sammy! We have to keep moving!" He urges again, trying to help his son to his feet.

The constable collapses onto the ground once more, his legs unable to hold his weight. He finds enough strength to shake his head no as he closes his eyes, trying to slow his heart down. The General, once again, wraps his arms around his son preparing to lift him when he pulls his hand back quickly. He can barely force himself to look at his hand, now covered in a sticky, crimson substance. Blood. Sam's blood.

"Sammy." He chokes, using the crook of his right elbow to lay Sam's head on his shoulder brushing through his hair with his clean left hand. "Stay with me, sweetheart. Daddy's going to take care of you." He promises.

His son's eyes are bleary slits as he shoves his hand into the bullet hole in Sam's lower back. Jason prays it did not damage his kidney. He helps his son stand, wrapping his arm around him to stabilize Sam, taking most of his weight. He kisses his twenty-seven-year-old son on the cheek, feeling him slowly slipping away from him.

The night approaches quickly. Jason helps his son sit and lean against a tall tree while tries to keep him warm. It is late in October and the nights are crisp and chilly.

"Stay with me, baby. Hang on just a little longer. We'll get help for you tomorrow and by this time tomorrow night, we'll be home nice and snug in bed." He promises, hoping with all his heart that it will come true. He cannot lose Sam. Not after everything they have been through. "I love you so much, Sammy. Please don't give up on me yet."

Sam weakly grasps his father's figure and lays his head on his shoulder, his eyes closing as exhaustion and blood loss conquer him.

TORONTO, Canada: SRU HQ

"Alright team, we're in a race against time to locate Sam and General Braddock." Greg states.

Team One, a military commander and a small army search and rescue unit gather in the briefing room. It has been nearly three days since Sam took off and a little over a week since General Braddock disappeared. The commander relayed the information Sam had given him two days ago, feeling guilty for not immediately accepting the young constable's hypothesis on his father's location.

"There is very good chance that Master Corporal Braddock followed through with his proposition and is searching for or has already found his father. The problem is pinpointing even their general location." Military commander, Sergeant Steven Willis states exasperatedly. "We do know where the old safe house used to be though so at least that gives us something to go off of. However, we do not know General Braddock's condition, he could be in rough shape."

"We'll get EMTs to follow us to the safe house in an ambulance." Ed announces. "Hopefully Sam brought proper equipment along with him to be able to take care The General if he needs medical attention."

"Sergeant Willis, does Sam know this area? Has he been there recently? I know you said it was their safe house and since Sam recognized it, he must have been there at least once, but what about recently? Would he remember it very clearly?" Greg asks.

A middle-aged man steps forward from the group. "Sir? If I may."

"Go ahead, Duke." Sergeant Willis answers.

"Yes, Sergeant Parker, Sam does know the area quite well. Along with it being one of their old safe houses, Jase – erm, General Braddock would often take Sam there during the summer when he was younger to camp and other father/son activities." Duke states softly. "He has not been there in the past ten years, however, do not underestimate Sam's ability to remember certain things with remarkable detail and accuracy. You wouldn't believe how many conversations, quotes, movie clips, book paragraphs, directions, maps and other odd things he remembers with perfection." He smiles slightly at the confused faces of Team One. "If he has set out to find his father, which I believe he most certainly has, he _will_ find him and do everything in his power to bring him back home."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Ed asks. "Let's go bring our men home!"

Team One, the select army officials and a team of EMTs set out driving to the safe house near the Great Lakes.

 **The Woods: The Next Morning**

Jason gently wakes his son. Much to his dismay, Sam's wound has not clotted and he has blanched significantly. Weakened by hunger and exhaustion, the two men walk slowly through the forest heading for their abandoned safe house where Sam's car is parked or, by some miracle, to find a car passing by on the desolate road. By mid-morning, they reach the road. Staying in the protection of the forest, Jason and his son limp as they follow the road.

"Daddy." Sam whispers hoarsely. "I don't feel good." He mumbles.

' _He's been shot in back, is bleeding out and he just "doesn't feel good." Sammy truly is a warrior.'_ Jason thinks as he scoop his son into his arms. "Rest, sweetheart. Daddy'll take care of you." He promises.

After another hour or so, Sam falls limp in his father's arms. The General's tears spill onto Sam's shirt, leaving small, wet circles on the t-shirt. He kisses his son's forehead, promising once more to get help for him. Jason continues to walk on mindlessly even under his son's dead weight. No cars have passed but he knows they should arrive at the car before this time tomorrow for sure. Just as he is about to stop for the dusk is closing in on them, Jason hears a loud rumbling of a car. No. Not a car. _Many_ cars. He runs out into the middle of the road, wildly searching for headlights on the dark road.

 **Team One:**

The day has been exhausting. They found Sam's car parked in the driveway of the old safe house but has found no other signs of the missing father and son.

"It's getting dark, gang. We need to pull over to stop for the night." Greg's voice crackles over the com-links.

"Boss wait!" Spike shouts. "I've got a figure in the road about a quarter of a mile ahead of us. I can't make out who it is."

" _A_ figure?" Duke asks turning to Sergeant Willis, a questioning glint in his eyes. 'Is it Sam or Jason?' they ask.

"Everyone stop here, leave your headlights on and approach the subject with extreme caution." Greg instructs.

They park their vehicles in a manner where the entire road and much of the forest's edge remained brightly illuminated.

"Police! SRU! Stay where you are! Put your hands in the air slowly!" They bark, carefully closing in.

"Please! Someone help my son! Help my son!" An unfamiliar voice chokes with tears.

The Army unit and SRU have their flashlight on their guns turned on and they direct them to the unseen body in the man's arms.

Duke squints to get a better visual of the man he is standing a ways back from.

"Jase!" He cries, pushing his way through the startled SRU members.

"Duke?" The voice calls in return, unsure if he is correctly recognizing the voice.

The Army medic quickly reaches General Braddock's side and shines his flashlight over Sam's pale, grey face. He glances up at Jason, noticing the tears welled in his friend's eyes. It must have been bad. Duke carefully lifts Sam from Jason's arms feeling the bullet wound and lays him on the road.

"EMS get over here. Reggie, grab my bag." He barks.

All of a sudden, everyone is unrooted from their spots and come rushing forward. The paramedics go to work quickly on their patient, trying to stabilize him and stop the bleeding. Meanwhile, Jason sways on feet watching the EMTs hovering over his son.

"Jase, you need to sit down, buddy. You're not lookin' too hot." Duke states, gently helping his friend to the ground. Jason nearly faints half-way down. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Sam – shot." Is all he can croak out.

Duke nods and begins a very quick examination of his patient.

"Sam-" Jason mumbles trying to sit upright.

"Jase, the medics are stabilizing him right now okay? You don't look too bad yourself. We're going to get you both to the base ASAP alright?" He soothes his friend. "He stable enough?" He asks the paramedics.

"It's as good as it's going to get without surgery." One of them answers.

"Good, get him in the truck. Sergeant Willis, we're going to need a chopper to airlift them to the base as soon as we get to a suitable landing place. They won't last the drive." Duke states, helping Jason stand very slowly.

The Sergeant nods and dials a number on his phone. "There's a place about ten miles from here that a copter can meet us and take both of them to Ottawa."

With that, Sam is placed on the gurney and situated in the ambulance. Jason and Duke climb into the backseat of a military vehicle. The General is incoherent when he talks which worries the Army doctor and he soon passes out, another bad sign.

The helicopter ride to the base is much quicker than expected. Sam is in surgery within the hour and Jason is situated in a room being treated with antibiotics, fluids, oxygen, pain killers and a mild sedative. He has four cracked ribs from the beatings, obtained an infection from the open wounds on his body and he grew extremely dehydrated during his captivity. His son makes it out of surgery with no damage to his kidney miraculously and is expected to make a full recovery in due time. Duke has Sam placed in the same room as his father so neither will freak out when awoken. He also gives the twenty-seven-year-old both of his medications having a feeling he has not taken them in the past two days. Sam has one seizure during the night but it ends quickly.

 **The Waiting Room**

Greg and Jules are pissed. They have been informed that no one is allowed to visit either Braddock for security purposes. Team One has only been told that both are recovering. Duke comes out a bit later stating he will be by both their sides the entire time. Heavily armed officials guard Sam and Jason's room, four men always on the post. One week later, Duke suggests they wake both men at the same time as to not cause any more emotional distress. Jason begins waking faster than his son but once Sam's eyes flutter open, he is smiling as wide as one could imagine. He grips his grown son's hand tightly and kisses it before he turns to Duke.

"It was them. They won't back off now. They're after us."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Please review! Chapter 2 will be up soon!_


	2. Of the Homeland

_**The Escape: Of the Homeland**_

 _In a dark room, somewhere far away_

A man sits hunched at his desk, staring intently at a computer screen. He watches in anger as two men walk through a private airport, military personnel surrounding his two targets. The CCTV footage fuzzes to black and white stripes for several moments as the streaming freezes over the bad internet connection. He taps several buttons on his phone.

"They're preparing for takeoff." He speaks. "Wait for my signal. They need to think they're safe."

.

ALASKA, United States of America

Two men dressed in black step off a small private plane. The younger one tightly clutches the elder's hand as they walk to their cab two suitcases in tow.

 **2 Hours Later**

Jason unlocks the door to a medium-sized cabin on the outskirts of a small village. He steps inside and immediately cranks up the thermostat up to start the gas fireplace. He sets down their suitcases and heads back out to the waiting cab to fetch his son.

"C'mon Sammy." He coaxes his son out into the snow and into the house.

Sam sits on a loveseat next to the warming fireplace. He watches his father unpack their suitcases, placing their things in their respective adjacent bedrooms.

"Daddy? Dis our new home?"

Jason stops and sits down next to his son. He nods. "Yeah Sammy, this is our new home for a while; just until things settle down back at home."

"N'Kay." Sam states. "I like it here." He smiles widely, his eyes shyly avoiding Jason's gaze.

"Well I'm glad you like it." The General cracks a half-smile, kissing Sam's cheek. His face lights up when his son giggles.

He stands after a moment and continues to unpack. This would be their new safe house for now. Hopefully they would not have to stay long before returning to Canada. The military, but more importantly, Duke, had suggested he and Sam get the hell out of the country until they catch these guys. Between Greenland and Alaska, Jason had chosen Alaska. At least there were _some_ people that lived there and from the looks of it, they weren't too unwelcoming.

After dinner, Sam and his father went to bed. Twenty minutes later, a light knock sounds on Jason's bedroom door.

"Daddy?" Sam calls quietly.

"Yeah baby. What's going on? Is everything okay?" He asks, opening his door.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? My bedroom's scary." Sam's eyes plead.

"Of course, Pooh Bear. C'mon, hop in here kiddo." He helps his son into bed and curls around him, pulling the thick covers over both of them. "Night Sammy. I love you." He whispers as his son snuggles further into him.

Over the next week, the pair meet the locals whom are more welcoming than Jason had originally expected. Sam is settling in nicely. The General was surprised that his son had not thrown a complete fit at the mere idea of leaving Canada, SRU and his teammates and even more shocked that Sam had actually been _excited_ about leaving! _'Maybe he trusts me more than I thought he did.'_

 **3 Days Later**

Jason is sitting in the kitchen waiting for Sam to wake. They had made a fairly precise schedule on just about all of the daily routines and although Jason is not opposed to his son sleeping in, he is growing steadily concerned. Sam had never overslept this late before. The General stands from the table and walks to his son's bedroom. His stomach flips as he knocks on the door.

"Sam? It's time to wake up, Pooh Bear. Sammy?" He calls, pushing the door open. "Oh God." His heart drops like a shot down helicopter in enemy territory. Jason rushes to his son's bedside. "Sammy?" He breathes, placing a hand on the hot forehead beaded with sweat. "C'mon talk to me, sweetie."

"Daddy?" Sam whispers hoarsely.

"It's okay, Pooh Bear. I'm sure it's just a cold or the flu." He stutters, his brain working fervently to find an explanation for why his son looks so terrible so suddenly.

"I don't…feel very…good." He mumbles, his eyes closing to mere slits once more.

"It's alright, Sammy. I'm sure you're going to be fine in just a few days. Daddy'll take care of you, sweetheart." He strokes his son's forehead gently.

Over the next thirty-six hours, Sam's condition has deteriorated severely. He can no longer open his eyes or talk abouve emitting a quiet moan, his fever has risen significantly to 103.6 F. Jason has stayed up with him all hours trying to coax him to drinking and calming him down every time he gets sick. When Sam has a seizure one morning and never regains consciousness, Jason hurries out of the cabin to the doctor's nearby house.

"Please, my son needs help. I can't lose him again." He sobs pleading.

The doctor, Richard Grey, quickly grabs a large bag and follows the army general back to his cabin. Once in Sam's bedroom, Dr. Grey rapidly assesses his patient.

"Can you toss me a liter bag of Ringer's Solution?" He asks, grabbing a needle and catheter from his bag. Dr. Grey cleans the top of his patient's left hand with an antiseptic wipe before inserting the needle, attaching the catheter and the IV into the tube. He hangs the large bag on an IV pole and sets the drip of the fluids on the fastest setting. "How long has he been unconscious?"

"He had a seizure about an hour ago. I must've forgotten to give him his medicine this morning. He's been having such a hard time opening his mouth. I -"

"It's okay. There wasn't much you could have prevented. He has what we call ice-fever." Dr. Grey states.

"What in the world is that?"

"It happens when someone with a compromised immune system or if they are just not very healthy, comes in contact with an extreme temperature change; such as moving to Alaska. It usually sets in about a week later when the body can no longer regulate its temperature. Hence why he's having a fever. His body is overcompensating. It is so cold, his body is working very hard to keep warm and he is making himself very sick." The doctor informs.

"What can you do to make him better?"

"Well, he needs to eat. Preferably a high calorie, high fat diet. We can give him some food when he starts to wake."

The two men wait and watch for any signs that Sam is waking. Three hours later, he stirs slightly. Dr. Grey shows Jason what to feed his son and helps Sam as he struggles to open his jaw. With eyes closed and fever hovering at 103 F, the constable eats an incredibly small amount of food but he's eating nonetheless.

Over the next three days, Richard stays in the Braddock cabin. He is extremely worried about Jason's son but he does not allow any of his concerns show. The young man's father is far too troubled about his sudden illness to mention that Sam is not recovering at all like he should be by now. On the fourth day, the young constable does not wake. He does not stir, he does not grunt or groan, he has slipped into the abyss of unconsciousness once again. Dr. Grey sticks his new thermometer into Sam's ear. It reads 104.9 F.

"Jason? We need to get him to Ataninnuaq. He is what his name means – one who has lived and knows things. He is our healer essentially as well as a very wise old man." Richard states grimly.

"Why do we need him? _You're_ the doctor!"

"I have done all I can with modern medicine and he is not getting better. If you want him to live, you _will_ take him to Ataninnuaq. This is all I can do for him. I'm sorry." Dr. Grey packs up his bag and walks to the door.

"Where are you going?!" The General calls after him. "How am I supposed to find this healer person?"

"If you truly want to find him, your soul will lead you to him. Dress him in the hide parka if you take him outside." And with that, Dr. Richard Grey is gone.

Jason breathes out a heavy sigh as he walks back to his son's room. He is as motionless as ever and is having some trouble breathing. Tears fall silently onto the bear-hide parka lined with caribou hair as The General carefully dresses his limp son. He carries Sam out into the snowy tundra, protectively shielding him from the biting wind. Jason sets out walking east to the outskirts of the village, feeling like this healer's home is this way. Even in his thick ski parka, the bitter wind rips through the material.

' _I need to get a hide parka soon too.'_ He thinks. He had bought one for Sam as soon as they arrived but thought he would be fine in his. Wrong.

He continues to walk through the packed snow. About ten minutes later, he comes across a small cabin with a little puff of smoke wafting out of a short chimney. He hesitates at the door, not knowing if he should knock or simply walk in. They were learning that most people in this Alaskan village do not knock so he opens the wooden door and steps into the cabin. He is instantly thrown into darkness, moments later, his eyes finally adjust to the dim lighting. A small fire burns in the center of the cabin and the rest of the house is lit by only a few short candles. A man, whom Jason assumes is Ataninnuaq, sits quietly in the corner of the one room house simply observing everything.

' _He must be ancient.'_ Jason thinks, barely making out the weathered face and greying hairs.

"Please, can you-" He starts but the old man's hand signals for him to stop.

"Give me the boy." Ataninnuaq states abruptly, holding his arms out.

The General swallows nervously before gently laying his son in this man's stretched out arms. The house is silent for several moments as the fire crackles softly.

"Ice fever. He has been very sick. You waited. Why." The old man demands.

"Dr. Grey said he would get better within a few days. He stayed with us the whole time but he left today. He said he couldn't do anything else for him."

"You should have come as soon as you discovered him. He has the jerks, does he not?"

"The _jerks_?" Jason asks quite baffled.

"Seizures. Bad ones."

"Oh, yes, then I suppose he does have 'the jerks'. How did you know that?"

"I can give him an herbal remedy. It will work much better than the 'advanced' medicine you have him on. It will not make him sleepy either."

Jason stares confused at Ataninnuaq. How the hell did he know all of this?! He had never even seen Sam before, they didn't live in the same country until a little under two weeks ago.

"You brought him too late I will however try my hardest to revive him. You love him very much but there will be consequences for your delayed decision, ones your son will have to pay." He continues.

The General's mind stumbles over the word 'revive'. Had Sam passed while they were walking? No. Can't think about that now. He would have noticed if he had, right?

"Revive as in bring him back to the conscious world, not from the land of the dead." Ataninnuaq clarifies. He can only nod at the healer. "The fat you have been feeding him is good but blood is better. He needs to eat meat with fresh blood in it. You have three days to kill a hare and bring it back. He will die if you do not succeed in time." He pauses for a moment before continuing. "The bow and quiver are there." He points to a shelf near the door. "You need to wear the bearskin parka and caribou hide pants to stay alive. They should fit." He then turns silent and focuses his attention on Sam.

Jason notices that the old man had stripped his son of his parka and his protective layers of clothing.

"Why can't you help Sam now?!" He exclaims, growing frustrated.

"Why should I? I did not make him sick." Ataninnuaq states calmly.

"And I did?!"

"No, but you waited. You always wait, Jason. One in your positon cannot afford to wait and yet you always wait when it comes to young Samuel. You are too worried that you are going to make the wrong decision but you only hurt him more by waiting."

Jason bumps into the shelf behind him, startling himself even more. He had begun backing up at the beginning of the healer's response. "H-how do you know my name? How do you know my son?!"

Ataninnuaq simply glances up at the frightened father. "You are wasting your son's time. He does not have long before the stars whisper his name and whisk him to the heavens abouve where they will take care of him due to your failures." He then looks downwards at the torpid boy in his lap, not gazing back up again.

Jason quickly dresses in the hide parka and pants, grabbing the bow and quiver from the shelf and hurries outside, needing a breath of cold, fresh air to even begin to process what just happened. He searches desperately for a rabbit until dark, not finding any. He heads into the woods to try to find a place to camp.

Back in the small cabin, the healer rubs oils on Samuel's face, gently massaging the salve into his skin. The young man shows no sign of waking. Laying him down on the polar bear hide rug, Ataninnuaq exits to chip a decent chunk of ice from the edge of the near-empty meat cache outside. The twelve Siberian husky in a large fenced area, howl as they smell the bloody scent of meat. The old man cuts the best, fatty parts off the caribou meat, throwing it over the fence for the dogs to devour. He brings the small remaining portion inside to cook. He places the ice in a large metal pot and hangs it over the fire to boil into drinking water, once it is finished, he can then begin to cook the meat. He moves over to where Sam lies inert.

"Your father loves you. I expect he will finish his quest in time to save you, because only he can now."

The daylight passes quickly for Jason, he finds a hare but cannot knock his arrow fast enough to be able to shoot.

"I still don't know why _I_ have to kill a _rabbit_ with an _arrow_! It seems a bit ridiculous. A rabbit? Why a rabbit? Why an arrow? Why me?!" Jason mutters to himself, his stomach rumbling. "And the whole three days thing or Sam will – will die." He chokes thinking about his very sick son. He didn't even have the chance to say goodbye, if, God forbid, he passed away.

The army general sits down, his head in his hands. He loves Sam so very much, he cannot bear the thought of losing him, again. He does not spot another hare for the rest of the day in the dense forest. He curls up against a tree and falls into a restless slumber. Ataninnuaq's words resound in his head as he drifts asleep. _'You're wasting Sam's time, he does not have long, the stars will take care of him because of your failures.'_ Jason jolts wakes entirely exhausted and very, very cold. He hears the light snap of a twig and attempts to peer through the darkness, knocking his arrow in the bow, ready to release it at any sign of danger. He creeps to the edge of the woods where the bright moonlight glistens off the frozen bay and shoreline tundra.

There, in a pool of moonlight, a large, white snow hare sits quietly, unmoving. Jason's breath catches in his throat as he draws his arrow, almost too scared to release it – too scared to fail his son again. The serenity of the moment conflicts in his mind with the brutal act of murder he is about to commit. In one fluid movement, he releases the arrow and it flies with silent accuracy directly into his target, killing it on contact. He hurries to fetch his prize, thanking the rabbit profusely, feeling as if that is what he should do considering the hare's sacrifice.

He places the rabbit into the quiver, his hands shaking and frozen through his gloves. Jason walks in the direction he believes he had come from but much to his dismay, he finds his mind muddled and disoriented. He trudges through the snow until dawn, then he finds a familiar landmark he knew he came from the left of it. He _had_ taken note of that. By dusk that is rapidly slipping into darkness, he stumbles into a clearing on the outskirts of the village. He spots Ataninnuaq's small home and falling often in the snow, he burst through the door, pulling the hare from the quiver and holding it in the air.

"I got it, I got it!" He exclaims excitedly. His mood is instantly crushed as he sees Ataninnuaq's grim face. "No, no! Sammy! How could he be gone?! You said three days! It's only been two! YOU SAID THREE DAYS!" Jason screams, sinking to his knees, cradling his son's head in his lap.

"This is the third night. You scarcely made it in time, he is hardly breathing. It will be up to Samuel to live now." The healer states solemnly.

"How – how has it been three days?" The General stutters. He tries to remember when he could have lost time when Ataninnuaq interrupts.

"You are sick. Hypothermia. Only the beginning stages. It is only a blessing from the stars that when you fell asleep, you woke again."

"Sleep. I must have slept for an entire day the second time I fell asleep!" Jason realizes.

"Then you are very lucky you woke at all." He pauses for a moment. "Quickly, give me the meat."

With expert skills, he skins the large hare and cuts small hunks of meat off, skewering them with a smooth, whittled stick. He turns the meat every few second for a couple minutes until most of the small bite-sized piece of rabbit is cooked. Ataninnuaq motions for the small jug of water to be handed to him. He dips his finger in the water, rubbing it on Sam's lips. Instead of the water rolling down his chin as it had been the past three days, Sam slowly opens his mouth just enough to feebly lick the water off his lips. The elderly man glances up at the young man's father, surprised.

"He heard your voice. He knows you have returned to save him." The healer states.

Jason continues to dab water on his son's lips. Ataninnuaq takes a piece of meat and pops it into his mouth.

"Hey! That was for Sam! I almost died trying to get that for him! How dare you-" He shouts.

The elder man hold his hand up, signaling for him to stop. He continues chewing the meat carefully. He brings a hand up to his mouth and swiftly spats out the rabbit meat that has been chewed nearly to a pulp. Jason looks rather disgusted at the meat. Ataninnuaq gently pries open Samuel's jaw after his father has his head slightly propped up so he won't choke. He places a quarter-sized amount of the chewed meat on his tongue, allowing Sam to taste it and simply swallow. They continue feeding Sam like this for over an hour, taking turns chewing the meat until it is soft and small enough for him to swallow. The young man soon falls asleep, taking no more meat as exhaustion overtakes him.

Ataninnuaq lays the 'boy' on the plush rug before kneeling next to a swooning Jason. His lips are tinged purple and his skin is cold as his eyes can barely open.

"You did good. You saved him. Now you need to rest, I will take care of you both." The healer reassures, bringing the glass jug of water to Jason's lips, pouring a small amount into his mouth. He lays The General down near the fire, placing a thick bear hide blanket over his shivering body.

All night, the knowledgeable one watches both younger men giving water, food and comfort to each as they fall into fitful slumbers. The next morning, Jason wakes first. He feels much better than he has in the past three days. Ataninnuaq helps him eat and drink. Placing a weathered hand on his forehead, the healer feels the heat returning to his body.

"The ice has left your veins and your lips are not their deadly shade of purple as they were all night but beginning to be warm pink and flush again." Ataninnuaq notices.

Nearly an hour later, Sam starts to stir until his eyelids begin to open. The healer intakes his breath sharply as he sees the young man's eyes. He reaches for a battered bottle of unused oil, quickly rubbing it on Sam's eyelids and on the dark bags underneath. He sighs as Jason squeezes next to him to see his son.

"What's wrong?" He asks, hearing the sigh and seeing the old man applying an oil of some kind to his son's eyes. "What's wrong with his eyes?"

"I told you there would be consequences for your delayed actions, consequences Sam would have to pay."

Jason nods unsure of what the healer is trying to say.

"What could be wrong with him? He's alive! He's awake! He's going to be okay! Isn't he?"

"Come, look at his eyes. A milky white film has coated them."

"Well, what is it? It will go away won't it?"

"In time. No more than a summer and winter before the film will disappear. But for now, Samuel is blind." Ataninnuaq states.

Jason's face drops as he gazes into his son's once crystal clear blue orbs now turned a translucent milky white.

"Sammy." He chokes, placing his hand on the side of his son's face.

"Daddy?" Sam whispers weakly. "Wh-where are you, Daddy?" His hands feebly reach for his father's soft voice. Jason takes Sam's hands and brings them to his face, his son's hands feeling around his eyes, nose and lips. "Daddy." He whispers a bit stronger, now satisfied knowing his father is next to him.

"How could this happen? I came in time."

"This is punishment for not bringing him straight away. Ice fever is ruthless. It harms and kills and blinds. I could have prevented this. But this is your punishment, having to watch your son suffer."

"But this is only temporary, right?"

"Yes, it can last up to a year and then it should fade, everything returning to normal again. His vision will not stay impaired. As for now, however, he will only see black; deep dark blackness. You will need to protect him and watch his every move to make sure he stays out of harm's way. He trusts you very much to keep him safe and that is what we expect you to do." Ataninnuaq states, standing to fetch more ice.

"When should I take him home?"

The healer turns around to face The General.

"Give him one week's time to recover."

One week later, Sam and Jason are home again. The General is having a hard time adjusting to his son's temporary handicap but Sam doesn't seem to hardly notice. As soon as he hears his father's voice every morning, he knows everything is going to be okay.

 **2 Weeks Later**

Sam and his father have come back from their daily walk around the village, visiting the locals and popping in for old, legend stories that the young constable enjoys so much. Jason has been growing a bit worried about his son. Ataninnuaq has given him an herbal remedy for his 'jerks' as the healer calls them and it has been working phenomenally; Sam has not had a seizure in weeks. However, The General is more concerned about his son's autism (ASD). They have been steadily running out of it and Jason has been cutting his son's dosage to try to make the medication last. He cannot order any more medication either, for fear of giving away their location. This is their safe house after all and it's not so safe if their attackers know where they are. He decides to talk to Ataninnuaq to see if he has any suggestions for alternative medicines.

' _Ugh! I forgot to pick up those herbs Mrs. Caternshee was going to give us. I'll have to go back before the storm hits.'_

"Alright, here we are, Pooh Bear." He states as they reach the door. He leads Sam inside and sits him down on the couch. His son can pretty much find his way around the house without assistance. "Hey Sammy? I have to run back out for a minute. Will you be okay here?" Sam nods his head absent-mindedly. "Okay, thanks sweetheart. I love you. I'll be back in just a few minutes." He promises.

Twenty minutes later, he returns. His heart drops to his feet as he sees their cabin door wide open, snow blowing into the house.

"SAMMY?! Sammy!" He shouts, quickly searching the house for his son. "No, no no no no no!" He drops the herbs on the floor and pulls the door shut tight as he races back to the village and Dr. Richard Grey's house. "Sam," He pants. "Sam's gone. He must've wandered off, he's not in the house, he'll freeze out here!"

"Okay, okay slow down. Take a breath, now explain what happened." Richard states calmly. Once Jason has explained the situation, Dr. Grey hurries him to the meeting building in the center of the village, calling for an emergency meeting.

Word is spread quickly and the majority of the village is in the large building within minutes. Dr. Grey begins describing Sam to the locals, telling them he has gone missing. Their reactions are not helping the situation. Many are chuckling and waving their hands placidly, some walk out.

"What is wrong with you people? My son is missing!" Jason nearly screams.

"He has simply gone off to find himself, to find his soul. Everyone does at one point, usually when they are young. He needs this. He will return when it is time. You have no reason to be so panicked, Jason." A man about The General's age states.

"You don't understand! He hasn't wandered off to 'find' his soul! He's blind!"

The faces of every person in the room blanch. They had not known _that_.

"Well shoot! Why didn't you say that first?! We got a storm coming! There's polar bear out there, he could walk too far out in the bay and fall in the ice! We have to get moving!" The same man cries. They instantly begin assigning teams and areas to search. Walki-talkies are distributed to each team and they quickly set out with first aid kits, snow mobiles and high hopes of finding the young man before the storm hits. They have four hours, give or take.

Everyone searches for Sam, adrenaline and worry rushing through their veins. Jason has no idea where Sam could have gone, it's not like Sam really knows where he's going either, or if he has his hide parka and pants on still. Hypothermia could set in quickly without the proper protection. Jason is a panicked mess. He needs to find his son. He needs to know that he's okay. Two hours pass, no one has seen any sign of Sam, the wind from the approaching blizzard is clearing all tracks that might have given them significant clues. Another hour of yelling and radio silence passes, some of the groups further out have started to double back, perhaps they missed the young man the first time.

Nearing the fourth hour and the very strong blizzard sweeping in from the bay, nearly everyone's hopes are destroyed. Sam would surely die of hypothermia if he were swept up in the blizzard and by the time they could send out another search party, an animal would most likely have eaten all of his remains.

"Sammy!" Jason cries, tears frozen on his face, bitter wind stinging every millimeter of exposed skin. "Sammy I love you!" He sobs.

Dr. Grey and the obnoxious man, Clipper Suek, as well as the rest of their small group try to comfort him but it is useless. They all know that the chance of finding Sam on their way back is extremely slim and they need to turn back now before _they_ are caught in the storm.

Clipper stops just as they are about to turn around. "Polar bear." He states, nodding north-westward. They group turns to find the silhouette of the looming creature a few hundred yard diagonal to them. Clipper and Richard hold their rifles low but ready to fire as they approach the bear. Jason follows behind.

The gigantic creature rears, standing on its two hind legs as the trio comes nearer. It lets out a low, loud growl. Then, it does something strange. It looks down at something on the ground in front of it, taking a huge paw and gently strokes at whatever is hidden behind the bank of snow.

"Must be a mama, don't want to get too close then. They can be awfully protective of their babies." Clipper states in a warning tone.

Jason shakes his head. "No, it's a male. See?" He points to the barely visible gender defining parts not quite hidden under its thick fur.

Richard and Clipper look closer and agree. "Well that's just plain weird. Why's he acting like a female? What's he got in front of him that he's so protective of?" Clipper asks for everyone else. "We'll figure it out, he'll make nice meat for a good long time this winter and maybe he's got a fresh kill and we'll have that too." The group advances further.

Suddenly, Jason has a strange urge to begin talking to the bear, cooing at it, almost like a child.

"It's okay, we're not going to hurt you. That's it. Good boy, good boy." He murmurs repeatedly.

They are within a yard of the bear and he could easily swing his giant paw at them, killing the three of them but the great beast drops onto all fours, nudges the object in front of him with his nose and slowly lumbers off, stopping and watching the humans from a safe distance. The three men quickly scale nature's embankment.

"Oh. My. God." Richard stutters. "Jason? You might want to see this." He motions to the object below him.

His stomach in nervous knots, Jason peers over the snow.

"Sam!" He cries, leaping over the low wall of snow to cradle his son. "Oh Sammy, you scared me so badly, Pooh Bear. I love you. I love you so much!" He whispers, tears freely flowing down his cheeks.

"I can't believe it." Clipper states in a low voice, still very aware of the nearby polar bear. "That bear was actually protecting your son. He must've known that we were going help him, that's why he walked away and probably why he's still waiting, making sure we'll take him back to the village." He pauses, shaking his head in astonished disbelief. "That's incredible. I've never seen anything like that before."

Richard helps Jason lay his son in the bed-like structure behind the snow mobile, checking him for any injuries inflicted by the bear.

"No injuries, just the growing stages of hypothermia. He's been out here for a while, I'm surprised it's not more advanced. That polar bear must have been keeping him warm. But we do need to get him back to the village ASAP if we don't want it to get any worse."

The group takes off, snow flying behind them. Jason watches the massive white bear as they speed away. He sits near the edges of the forest watching them until they are far enough away and he stands, lumbering off.

Sam is immediately dropped off at their house and Richard begins medical treatment to reverse the effects of hypothermia immediately. In a few days, Sam is awake and talking. He is very tired but his body returns to normal temperature and over the course of a week, he is back to his peppy, lovey self again.

Jason insists that his son sleep with him until he is fully recovered and although neither would admit in public, they absolutely adore cuddling up next to each other in bed every night.

All is at peace when Sam curls into his father and says: "I love you, Daddy" in his slight lisp and goofy smile. They may have troubles, Sam may be blind and autistic, but both are happier than they have ever been before, at peace with all their troubles living in a small Alaskan village.

TORONTO, Canada

Team One has been agitated ever since Sam was in the base hospital. They have been unable to speak to their teammate since he left the station that day in search for his captive father. The military did alert Greg that both would be placed in a safe house, having absolutely no contact with their friends, family or current associates. They had also strongly advised that the team filled Sam's position with a 'temporary' replacement until they had taken care of the pressing situation at hand. Sam was gone and they had no way to contact him. More than that though, is they had no idea when he would able to come back, if ever! They had hastily chosen a replacement they could tolerate, but he was no Samtastic. There are many days when Team One wonders if they will ever see Sam again or if his father going to hide him away forever? Will he ever come back to the team?

 _In a dark room, very far away:_

"Everything is ready, sweetie. You just have to tell me when you want to finish them once and for all." He states, kissing his 'wife.' Once her lousy husband is dead, they will have a joyous marriage together. Jacqueline had only insisted she did not file for divorce with the General because it would "hurt them more to know I want to and will kill them both." She had stated.

She nods. Our king cobras slither and hiss on the floor, swirling around her ankles.

"Come Salem." She coos to her shiny black cobra. He hisses in delight, slithering up her arm and draping himself around her neck. She looks down at my snake, Circe, with disgust. "Kill." She commands coldly.

Salem immediately slides to the floor. The ghostly silver streak running down his flank glistens dangerous as he rears and strikes Circe. In one fluid movement, his venomous fangs puncture her neck. For a moment, she tries to fight but she quickly flops limply in Salem's locked jaws. Dead. Salem releases his kill and slithers back to Jacqueline, rising up, his body dancing as he waits for praise.

"Good boy." She states, giving him a single pat on the head.

The man's face drops as he watches Circe be killed, a helpless bystander. Still unable to comprehend why his fiancé ordered his snake's death and mystified by Salem's dangerous training, he simply stares at Jacqueline as she begins to walk out of the room. She snaps once and Salem quickly follows her, stopping as she does at the threshold.

"Clean that miserable excuse of an animal up will you?" She states coldly, spinning on her heels, Salem closely following her.

' _A deadly attack will surely ensue.'_ The man thinks. _'I only wonder who will fall victim.'_

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_ _Please review! I apologize for the slow post and long chapter! I just finished my final exams on Friday_ _I'm finally finished with school! Final chapter coming shortly, we'll see who ends up being the victim in this 'deadly attack'. Thanks again for reading! I love reviews from you guys!_


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